Half-round trailer and trailer body with extruded panel side walls

Abstract

A trailer includes a chassis and a trailer body connected to the chassis. The trailer body includes left and right vertical side walls and a curved floor. The left and right side walls each include a plurality of extruded panels each including an inner wall and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A trailer for carrying bulk commodities, said trailer comprising:
 a chassis; 
 left and right rotating wheel and tire assemblies connected to the chassis; 
 a body supported on the chassis, the body comprising: 
 left and right spaced apart side walls respectively located on left and right lateral sides of the body, said left and right sidewalls each comprising a plurality of extruded panels each including an inner wall and an outer wall spaced from the inner wall, wherein adjacent panels of each of the left and right side walls are abutted such that the respective inner walls of the adjacent panels of the left side wall form an inner face of the left side wall that is oriented toward the right side wall, and such that the respective inner walls of the adjacent panels of the right side wall form an inner face of the right side wall that is oriented toward the left side wall; 
 a bulkhead located at a forward end of the body between the left and right side walls; 
 a tailgate located at a rear end of the body between the left and right side walls; 
 left and right axially extending bottom rails that extend parallel to each other between the forward end of the body and the rear end of the body; 
 a floor comprising a curved upper surface and opposite left and right lateral edges; 
 a left draft arm comprising an inner end pivotally connected to the body adjacent the left lateral side of the body; 
 a right draft arm comprising an inner end pivotally connected to the body adjacent the right lateral side of the body; 
 a kingpin plate comprising a kingpin connected thereto, said left and right draft arms comprising respective left and right outer ends connected to said kingpin plate, wherein said kingpin plate is located adjacent said forward end of said body; 
 said body constructed such that: 
 a lower end of the left side wall and the left lateral edge of the floor are connected to the left bottom rail; 
 a lower end of the right side wall and the right lateral edge of the floor are connected to the right bottom rail; 
 the curved upper surface of said floor, the left and right side walls, the bulkhead, and the tailgate define a cargo space adapted for receiving and retaining a bulk commodity cargo. 
 
     
     
       2. The trailer as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each pair of adjacent abutted panels of each of the left and right side walls is connected to each other. 
     
     
       3. The trailer as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the adjacent abutted panels of each pair of panels are welded to each other. 
     
     
       4. The trailer as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the adjacent abutted panels of each pair of panels are welded to each other by a first weld that extends continuously along and substantially coextensive with an inner seam defined between and adjacent the respective inner walls of the adjacent abutted panels. 
     
     
       5. The trailer as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the adjacent abutted panels of each pair of panels are welded to each other by said first weld and further by a second weld that extends continuously along and substantially coextensive with an outer seam defined between and adjacent the respective outer walls of the adjacent abutted panels. 
     
     
       6. The trailer as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 left and right top rails, wherein: 
 the plurality of extruded panels of the left side wall define said left side wall to extend vertically between the left bottom rail and the left top rail; and, 
 the plurality of extruded panels of the right side wall define said right side wall to extend vertically between the right bottom rail and the right top rail. 
 
     
     
       7. The trailer as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein:
 the left side wall comprises said extruded panels thereof arranged vertically with a lower end of each panel of said left side wall connected to said left bottom rail and an upper end of each panel of said left side wall connected to said left top rail; 
 the right side wall comprises said extruded panels thereof arranged vertically with a lower end of each panel of said right side wall connected to said right bottom rail and an upper end of each panel of said right side wall connected to said right top rail. 
 
     
     
       8. The trailer as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein each of said vertically arranged panels of said left side wall and said right side wall comprises at least one hollow core that extends parallel to an extrusion profile axis from said lower end to said upper end such that said at least one hollow core of each panel of said left side wall extends between said left bottom rail and said left top rail, and such that said at least one hollow core of each panel of said right side wall extends between said right bottom rail and said right top rail. 
     
     
       9. The trailer as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein each pair of adjacent abutted vertically arranged panels of each of the left and right side walls is connected together. 
     
     
       10. The trailer as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein each pair of adjacent abutted vertically arranged panels of each of the left and right side walls is welded together. 
     
     
       11. The trailer as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein each pair of adjacent abutted vertically arranged panels of each of the left and right side walls is welded together by a first weld located in an inner seam defined between and adjacent the respective inner walls of the adjacent abutted vertically arranged panels. 
     
     
       12. The trailer as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein each pair of adjacent abutted vertically arranged panels of each of the left and right side walls is welded to each other by said first weld and also by a second weld located in an outer seam defined between and adjacent the respective outer walls of the adjacent abutted vertically arranged panels. 
     
     
       13. The trailer as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein:
 said first and second welds that connect each pair of adjacent abutted vertically arranged panels of the left side wall extend continuously between said left bottom rail and said left top rail; 
 said first and second welds that connect each pair of adjacent abutted vertically arranged panels of the right side wall extend continuously between said right bottom rail and said right top rail. 
 
     
     
       14. The trailer as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein:
 each of said first welds of the left side wall extends continuously between said left bottom rail and said left top rail; 
 each of said first welds of the right side wall extends continuously between said right bottom rail and said right top rail. 
 
     
     
       15. The trailer as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a left draft arm guide system for aligning said left draft arm with said left lateral side of said body, and a right draft arm guide system for aligning said right draft arm with said right lateral side of said body, wherein: 
 said left draft arm guide system comprises a male portion connected to one of the body and the left draft arm and a female portion connected to the other of the body and the left draft such that said male and female portions of said left draft arm guide system mate when said body is located in a load-carrying position; 
 said right draft arm guide system comprises a male portion connected to one of the body and the right draft arm and a female portion connected to the other of the body and the right draft such that said male and female portions of said right draft arm guide system mate when said body is located in said load-carrying position; 
 said respective male and female portions of said left and right draft arm guide systems separate from each other when said body is moved to a dumping position with said forward end of said body elevated relative to said rear end. 
 
     
     
       16. The trailer as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the left and right bottom rails comprise respective left and right floor recesses in which said left and right lateral edges of the floor are respectively received. 
     
     
       17. The trailer as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein said left and right bottom rails comprises respective left and right transition walls in which said left and right floor recesses are respectively defined, wherein said left transition wall provides an extension of said floor adjacent said left lateral edge of said floor and said right transition wall provides an extension of said floor adjacent said right lateral edge of said floor. 
     
     
       18. The trailer as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said upper surface of said floor is located a distance D from a horizontal reference plane that intersects said left and right side walls, wherein said distance D is maximized when measured at an axial centerline of the trailer body and becomes progressively smaller as measured closer to the left and right side walls. 
     
     
       19. The trailer as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein:
 the left side wall comprises said extruded panels thereof arranged horizontally, each of said panels of said left side wall comprising at least one hollow core extending parallel to said left bottom rail; 
 the right side wall comprises said extruded panels thereof arranged horizontally, each of said panels of said right side wall comprising at least one hollow core extending parallel to said right bottom rail. 
 
     
     
       20. The trailer as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said chassis comprises left and right chassis beams, said left chassis beam comprising a left saddle portion and said right chassis beam comprising a right saddle portion, wherein a lower surface of said floor is supported on and connected to both the left and right saddle portions. 
     
     
       21. The trailer as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein said left and right saddle portions comprise respective curved saddle surfaces that each match a curvature of the lower surface of the floor, and wherein the curved surface of each saddle portion is oriented inward toward a center of the cargo space.